Hi All,
I am new to the forum and brewing also.
I started my first brew a few weeks ago (Irish Red Ale). I checked the Gravity of my brew right after it cooled on brew day prior to transfer to the primary fermenter. It was 1.032. This is how to check OG, correct?
The recipe states the OG should be 1.044.
Based on this it looks to me like there is something wrong with my batch.
What effects OG, and why would mine be lower than the target? Should I expect my batch to be low alcohol in the end or ruined based on my OG?
Things that can affect your readings
1)temp. Make sure your sample is cooled to the correct temp. It should state it on your hydrometer.
2)Dilution. Is it for a 5 gallon batch and you topped it up to 5.5 gal. or more?
3)When mixing a partial boil w/ cold water in the fermenter, you really have to shake it good to get it to mix properly.
If not properly mixed you can get off readings.
4)Your hydrometer was/is not calibrated correctly. Check to make sure it reads water as “1.000” at the appropriate temp.
It was a 5 gallon batch. I followed the recipe exactly. The only thing I wonder is that I boiled it to slowly. I kept it just barely boiling to try to avoid a boil over. I assumed that would be OK at the time.
I wouldn’t be surprised if I were reading the hydrometer incorrectly. I am learning as I go. I will test my hydrometer and report back the results.
Thanks for your response.
[quote=“dsiets”]3)When mixing a partial boil w/ cold water in the fermenter, you really have to shake it good to get it to mix properly.
If not properly mixed you can get off readings.[/quote]
If this was an extract kit, ^^^^this is your answer. If you used all the extract and topped to 5 gallons, it is at the correct OG, your sample has just come from a stratified (“not-well-mixed”) part of your wort. Boiling too slowly won’t effect OG, but can cause flavor problems. You will, however, make beer. Hooray beer!
Cheers,
Ron
Yes, it was an extract kit. It is possible I didn’t mix it enough. I checked the hydrometer in plain water and it read 1.000 as it should.
Thanks for all of the info.
[quote=“Frenchie”][quote=“dsiets”]3)When mixing a partial boil w/ cold water in the fermenter, you really have to shake it good to get it to mix properly.
If not properly mixed you can get off readings.[/quote]
If this was an extract kit, ^^^^this is your answer. If you used all the extract and topped to 5 gallons, it is at the correct OG, your sample has just come from a stratified (“not-well-mixed”) part of your wort. Boiling too slowly won’t effect OG, but can cause flavor problems. You will, however, make beer. Hooray beer!
Cheers,
Ron[/quote]
